hormonal imbalance

[warpfairy]

They study Klingon. They work out a sleep schedule. They approach Betazed.

They are two days away from the system when Isabella notices something - troubling.

She takes longer than usual to compose herself that morning, and emerges from the living quarters with carefully measured steps, and avoids eye contact.

"Do you," she asks Lalita quietly, "have the ability to fly this class of ship?"

Comments

[warpfairy]

Isabella looks away, hands clasped in her lap.

[dream_me_up]

[warpfairy]

"Thank you. My privacy is important to me."

[dream_me_up]

"I noticed."

[warpfairy]

Isabella sighs, withdrawn.

[dream_me_up]

"I haven't been in your private files," he adds. "I just - notice things."

[warpfairy]

She nods once.

[dream_me_up]

He shrugs.

[warpfairy]

So, awkward uncertain silence, then?

[dream_me_up]

Apparently so!

[warpfairy]

Isabella might as well pick up a book, then.

She'll have time to get lots of read in on her deserted moon, won't she.

[dream_me_up]

"I'm sorry I figured it out," he says. "But I can't exactly go back and not know it."

[warpfairy]

"I am," she murmurs, "less than clear on what you know or what you plan to do with it."

[dream_me_up]

"I don't plan to do anything. You're breaking the law, but why should I care? I remember when Earth was a prewarp civilization."

[warpfairy]

Isabella relaxes marginally. "...Ah."

[dream_me_up]

"...Did you think I was going to turn you in? I'm not," he says. "The less contact I have with any kind of authority, the better. I wouldn't turn someone in even for a crime I didn't want them to commit."

[warpfairy]

"I suppose that's fair. So now we both have blackmail material on each other, I suppose."

[dream_me_up]

He laughs.

[warpfairy]

"I probably shouldn't have named my ship Prometheus. It's a common name, but I suppose it must make everything snap into place obviously if you formulate even half of a correct guess."

[dream_me_up]

"It kind of does," he agrees.

[warpfairy]

"Maybe I should change it. I considered keeping Andes or going with the considerably more subtle Nicholas."

[dream_me_up]

"Nicholas?" he echoes inquisitively.

[warpfairy]

"As in," she smiles, "the saint."

[dream_me_up]

He laughs.

[warpfairy]

"But possibly a name change will draw attention, too. I am unsure what will be the most useful at maintaining cover. I expect to be caught and confined to a small moon for the rest of my life eventually but would like to postpone it as long as possible."